A man who played a key role in co-ordinating the drive-by shooting of a father-of-four who then tragically died has been convicted of manslaughter.
Akeel Hussain helped arrange the carefully planned attack on Mohammed Haroon Zeb as part of an ongoing feud between families.
Mr Zeb, who was known as Haroon, was shot in the head outside his home in Queens Cross during the early hours of 31 January, 2021. The 39 year-old taxi firm manager was rushed to hospital but sadly died later the same day.
Police examined a range of evidence including phone records and social media as officers identified Hussain – who was injured himself after being struck by a car less than a fortnight earlier – as playing a prominent role in planning the shooting.
Two other men who were in the Volkswagen Golf from which the fatal gunshot was fired were convicted of the murder of Mr Zeb earlier this year and jailed for 60 years.
Following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court which concluded yesterday (14 November), Hussain, aged 23 from Dudley, was found guilty of manslaughter. Hussain, who is currently in custody after recently being convicted of separate offences of violent disorder and possession with intent to supply, will be sentenced on 1 December.
Mohammed Rafiq, 22, also of Dudley, was involved in helping to conceal the Golf – which was on false plates – and later recovered in Telford. He was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice and will be sentenced the same day.
Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who led the investigation, said: “While Hussain may not have fired the fatal gunshot, he was integral to planning the shooting which tragically led to the death of Mr Zeb.
“We will possibly never know why Mr Zeb was specifically targeted. He was not believed to have been actively involved in the feud but was following what was going on.
“We know nothing can ever replace the loss of a loved one, but we hope the fact Hussain will now spend considerable time behind bars will ease some of the pain felt by Mr Zeb’s family.
“We will always pursue and seek to convict anyone involved in a killing – from committing the act, planning the killing, or trying to protect others from facing justice.”